The Demon Ring
by Riffir
Summary: As Yozak and Murata leave to obtain the Demon Ring, new events begin to occur in Shin Makoku. Yozak/Murata, and other pairings coming soon.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

One of the things Murata admired about Yosak was his ability to learn quickly. There was very little that the red-headed spy could not grasp quickly, few situations that he could not accurately interpret, and rarely was the information he discovered wrong.

Murata gasped, arched his back, thrust his hips back and impaled himself harder against Yosak's fingers. The spy grinned, nuzzled his neck and licked a trail from his collarbone to his ear. Yosak twisted his fingers again, brushing that spot deep inside the Sage's body, earning himself another gasp. Murata snapped his teeth shut as a deep moan threatened to escape. He wanted to keep a little dignity, a little longer. From the smug look on the ginger-haired man's face, Murata knew he wasn't fooling anyone.

Yozak free hand lifted one of Murata's legs, bringing them to either side of his hips. All thoughts of dignity flew from his mind as Yosak withdrew his fingers and pushed inside him with one swift move. Wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders, Murata pulled himself up to kiss the other with enough force that their teeth collided. With fingers threaded through the ginger mass of hair, the Sage allowed himself a smile against the other's lips.

Yosak was a quick learner indeed.

Reaching his arms above his head, Yozak stretched, feeling his back crack. A note from Lord Von Voltaire had been slid under his door during the night. Yozak hoped it had been delivered after the Sage had left- he didn't mind if people knew he was sleeping around, but he had a feeling that his Holiness would feel differently about the change in reputation.

Sighing, he lowered his arms. Murata had disappeared from his room at some point during the night, between when Yozak had nodded off and this morning. He couldn't help but feel disappointed and impressed at the same time – usually when the Sage left, Yozak woke to the sound of the door shutting. Apparently, after years of neglect, someone had gotten around to oiling the hinges. Regrettable, really.

With a shrug, he paused in front of Von Voltaire's office and tapped on it. The casualness of their relationship hadn't changed from that first time, and he didn't see it changing anytime soon, whether he wanted it to or not. Sex whenever the Sage happened to come around, whenever Yozak was in the castle and not on night duty. And since Murata came around often, Yozak had no reason to complain.

Gwendel Von Voltaire's office was much more homey than man himself was. With the small knitted animals of questionable classification lining his shelves, it made him look like a family man, as opposed to the hardened military man he was. The tall stern man sat at his desk.

Leaning against the front of his desk was Ken Murata. With bright blond hair.

The glasses were the same, at least. A blonde Sage reminded him far too much of the whole even in Big Shimaron.

He closed the door behind him, and sauntered over to the desk. "Where to this time?" he asked cheerfully.

It was Murata who answered. "We're going to get the Demon Ring"

A rare blunt statement. Yozak wondered what was lying under the surface of it.

At his raised eyebrow, Von Voltaire continued. "There has been intelligence that the Demon Ring was found in a small town just past the border of Shin Makoku. The two of you are going to go get it, and bring it back here."

"Right," Yozak walked up to the desk. "And why is a demon ring in human lands?" he frowned. "And why not send an actual demon for it?"

Murata shrugged. "It disappeared years ago. Who knows why it's near the demon border. Also," he tilted his head, disappearing behind the glare of his glasses, "Mazoku can't use it- it's designed for half-breeds and humans. The ring gives Maryoku to those who ordinarily can't use it."

Yozak nodded. "And you know what it looks like, Holiness?"

Murata nodded.

Yozak glanced around the room. "So, where's Kid-His Majesty? I thought he would be interested in something like this."

Kiddo would not only be interested, he would be thrilled for an excuse to avoid paperwork. From their expressions- the Sage's grin and the deepening wrinkles on Lord Von Voltaire's face- Yozak had a feeling they were thinking the same thing.

A vein popped out on Gwendel's forehead. "We would rather his Majesty didn't know the details of this particular mission."

"The ring is located in the human lands; it's a lesser known artifact, and there is no one looking for it." Murata explained, running a hand through blond hair.

"Three days in, three days out." Gwendel continued. "This should be quick and easy."

Yozak bit his cheek to resist grinning. A glance to Murata showed the Sage had tipped his glasses into the light, concealing half his face. "It always is," Yozak said cheerfully. "When do we leave?"

"Immediately."

A knock at the door interrupted the humorless man before he could continue. At Gwendel's gruff admission, a young soldier stepped inside, and saluted. "Sir, Nomads have been sighted along the edge of the city." The man hesitated before continuing. "They appear to be headed toward us."

Gwendel's eyes narrowed and he rose, hands planted on the desk. "Send a unit to meet them. See what they want, and then escort them to the edge of our territory."

Yozak didn't miss the flicker of grey eyes in his direction. Cheerful smile never fading from his face, he headed toward the door, waving back over his shoulder. "So we head out soon. I'll just make sure that this group isn't going to cause any trouble for us on the way out." Carefully keeping the mask firmly in place, he paused in the door, turned, and winked at the Sage. "I'll see you soon, Holiness."

The door closed before he could hear the other's response.

From where he stood, the group of rag-tag travelers didn't look too threatening. Murata grasped the reins of the two horses (one that had been hastily saddled, the other containing all the things they would need for the next week) and watched the small unit ride out to intercept the Nomads.

As they grew close, the leader held up her hand, halting the unit. Holding her bow out to one side and sword to the other, she nudged her horse forward, dropping the weapons as she moved.

Murata smiled wistfully. Even they, after four thousand years, had not changed much. Traditions were almost permanent in this world.

The woman was a bit older, chestnut hair falling in curls down her back, tall and strong. Reaching the small group of soldiers, she lowered her arms to her sides, letting one rest along the neck of her spotted horse.

The Sergeant kept one hand on his sword as he rode up to meet her. The two spoke for a few minutes before the woman, hands moving slowly, reached into a saddlebag and pulled out a note. Passing it along to the Sergeant, she nudged her horse backward, using her legs to guide it back to her group.

The Sergeant waved another man forward. Giving him the note, he spoke quickly and pointed toward the castle. As the man took off toward Covenant castle, the soldiers moved forward to escort the Nomads away from the town.

As they started to leave, Murata watched as Yozak peeled away from the others and headed back to the town. Even at the distance, he could see the ginger's blue eyes catch sight of him. The spy grinned and altered his course.

"His Excellency wasn't joking when he said immediately." Yozak said as he joined Murata.

"I doubt Lord Von Voltaire ever jokes," Murata replied, nudging his horse along the path that would take them out of Shin Makoku. "What was that about?"

Yozak's horse fell easily into step with his own. "They wanted a message to be taken to the Kiddo," he answered. "Apparently, they want to discuss some sort of treaty."

Murata looked over at the red-headed spy. "What sort of treaty?"

The Nomads – a group made up mainly of Mazoku blood and their half-human offspring– hadn't been apart of the Mazoku nation since Shinou had ostracized them. On their own, they had broken off into small groups governed by the nobility that would have eventually become part of the noble families that currently ruled Shin Makoku. They weren't allowed to technically be inside Mazoku lands, though most villages turned a blind eye to a group passing by. Many of the smaller villages traded with them. The Nomads were never allowed inside city limits.

Yozak glanced back at him. Although he was still smiling, Murata could read a bit of worry in those blue eyes. "They want to rejoin Shin Makoku."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Murata slid out of the saddle gratefully, leaning against a tree. Two days of travel did horrible things to his legs and back. Not to mention the places in-between. "I'm remembering why I used to hate traveling by horse,"

They had stopped in a small clearing, near a river. Yozak dismounted much more smoothly, and began to unsaddle the horses. "We'll arrive tomorrow. After that, we can head back and we'll be sleeping in real beds within the week."

His cheerful statement was met with a withering glance. Draping saddle blankets over a branch, he led the horses to the side of the river, wiping them down with a cloth as they drank.

Grabbing his pack, Murata began to get out the cooking utensils for dinner. Yozak had surprised the Sage with his more than decent cooking through out the trip. "Don't really have a cook out here," the spy said brightly, as he sautéed a fish. "And it's expensive to eat in taverns all the time."

He paused, watching as the half-human wandered into the river, naked to his waist and the Sage let himself relax, enjoying the view. Setting the utensils aside, he headed to the water himself, tossing his own shirt to the sandy shore.

The old woman who owned the Demon Ring was more than happy to sell the item. "It's really not impressive," she said, handing a small jewelry box to Murata. "My husband brought it back a few years ago when he traded in the south. I never wore it- I was always afraid I'd lose it. But it's a pretty little thing, really."

Murata opened the box. Glancing over the Sage's shoulder, Yozak whistled low. The ring was a simple band with small blue and green stones forming circles and spirals. "Really," the spy echoed.

Luckily, the money Murata had brought with them proved to be more than enough.

Declining the lady's offer to stay the night, or at least for supper, the two headed out of town.

"Perhaps we should have stayed in town," Murata said, eyeing the declining sun suspiciously.

Yozak shrugged. "We can make camp, like we did on the way down," he replied. Murata's groan sounded through out the dim light, and Yozak grinned.

"There is a village a bit up the road," he added, as though thoughtfully. "Perhaps we have enough to stop for the night. I hear the inn there has a great bar."

For the chance to sleep under a roof, Murata would have agreed to sleep in the bar.

Murata's hands stilled against Yozak's ribs, his thumbs absently tracing along his abs. The larger man shivered at the contact. "There's something odd about this."

Yozak's eyes, closed in pleasure, opened into slits. "I'm not even touching you."

Murata rolled his eyes. "Which is strange in itself." His right hand dipped lower, grazing along Yozak's belt-line while his left hand brushed over hard nipples. "I'm talking about this trip."

"Of course you are. I always talk about my job in bed."

He ignored the interruption. "It's going far too smoothly." he frowned. "The Demon Ring is a lucrative item. There should be more people interested in it."

"I've heard that people are interested." Yozak agreed. Abruptly, he sat up, pushing Murata onto his back against the spy's legs. The spy shifted, bringing his feet up under himself before leaning over the toppled Sage. He nibbled along Murata's clavicle. "Maybe you're too used to traveling with the Kiddo, your Holiness." His mouth moved up the double black's neck to his ear, and he felt the younger body sigh in pleasure. After a moment, he braced himself on his forearms, and held the other's gaze. "These things don't always have to go badly."

Murata pulled Yozak's head back down to his neck and said nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The temperature began to drop that night. Curled up on his side, Murata murmured in his sleep, instinctively curling closer to the mass of body heat to his left. Half asleep, Yozak rolled over and wrapped an arm around the slim body. Blue eyes opened blearily, and he eyed the Sage warily. Before this mission, Murata had never even stayed the night, much less cuddled up against him in bed. The wariness faded away, and Yozak smiled, burying his face into midnight hair. One step at a time. Letting his eyes slide shut again, he drifted off into sleep.

Across the street, a figure completely cloaked in nondescript brown robes watched their room. As the two fell deeper into sleep, it stood, and made it's way to the window.

The cooling temperatures had inspired the innkeeper to keep the window open, allowing the autumn breeze to keep the building cool. The figure used that to it's advantage. Placing both hands on the sill, it eased itself into the room, moving slowly and quietly and dropping to the floor with a quiet thud. Pausing a moment, watching the two men sleeping on the bed, it slowly stood, and headed straight for the table beside the bed, reaching for the small pouch containing the Demon Ring.

It's fingertips were inches away from the pouch when Yozak's hand clamped onto it's wrist, stalling it's movement. "Good morning," the spy announced brightly, "and welcome to room four-oh-nine."

The figure stilled for a brief moment, before twisting sharply in an attempt to escape. "So sorry," Yozak's grip tightened, and he reached back for the knife he kept nearby whenever he slept. Behind him, Murata sat up, hand groping for his glasses. "But you aren't leaving yet."

The thrashing stopped. "Thank you," Yozak kept his grip on the robed figure. Moving slowly, the disguised individual raised loose fists in surrender as Murata pushed his glasses up onto his nose, and reached for the Demon Ring. "Now, what are you-"

With a sharp twist of it's free hand, the cloaked figure uncurled its fingers, palm upright and blew sharply. A cloud of powder exploded from the figure's palm, straight into Yozak's face. Surprised, he dropped the other's wrist, waving the dust away and coughing.

Instead of going directly for the pouch again, the figure turned and ran. Vaulting the window with ease, it landed lightly on the grass outside, and kept moving.

Yozak was halfway to the window when he realized his vision was clouding over. With a curse he stumbled, one hand outstretched to catch himself. Standing in the middle of the room, he swore again when his sight failed to return after several blinks.

Murata grabbed Yozaks' arm, pulling him away from the window. "It's an old potion," he explained, pushing the larger man to sit on the bed. "Herbal dust mixture, used to blind people. Many spies used it, centuries ago." the footsteps moved away briefly, and Yozak could hear the sound of water pouring into a bowl. "Some tribal leaders used it to harm their enemies." The Sage spoke quickly, words almost tripping over his tongue to be free.

"I can see how it would be useful." Yozak agreed, attempting to keep his voice even. "I assume there's a cure?" It would definitely be harder to do his job without sight.

"It doesn't last too long," the footsteps moved closer to the bed again, and Yozak felt two slim hands pressing a large ceramic bowl into his hands. Liquid sloshed over the edge, drenching both his hands and lap. "And water rinses it out completely."

Yozak nodded once, before taking a deep breath and plunging his face into the bowl. He opened his eyes under the water, blinking several times. Lifting his head, he blinked a few more times. His vision was still spotty, but clearing rapidly, and none the worse for the experience.

Murata held a towel out for him, and he dried his face and hair roughly, chafing his skin a little. "Is that what it feels like when you don't have your glasses on?" Yozak joked, running a hand through damp hair.

Murata took the towel back, laying it out on the window sill. "I wouldn't know," he turned, and the moonlight glinted off his glasses. Halfway across the room, yet an unreachable distance. "I've never had it used on me."

"I see." Yozak stood reaching for his clothing. With his returning vision, he realized that the Sage was still naked.

"Where are you going?" Murata asked, sitting back on the edge of the bed while Yozak quickly dressed. The ginger-headed spy slipped the knife into his boot, and headed toward the door.

"There are rooms to the inside of the building. We can finish the night in there, and get a good start tomorrow morning. I'll go find the innkeeper and see what's available." Yozak paused by the door, eyeing the Sage. Murata sat with his eyes shielded, face unreadable.

Murata was one of the few people that Yozak couldn't read. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, hesitantly. He received a nod in response, and Murata offered one of his more enigmatic grins.

"I'll be waiting." One hand caressed the bed cover, and the double-black fell back onto the bed.

Yozak gave his own grin in response, and slipped out the door. The smile faded as soon as the door closed. "Well, shit."

One step forward had become two steps back, and this was becoming a dance Yozak had never studied.


End file.
